"Win-Win" For Ladakh: Sonam Wangchuk's Wife On Revocation Of NSA

The Centre on Saturday revoked activist Sonam Wangchuk's detention, freeing him after 170 days of detention.

The Ministry of Home Affairs revoked the Leh district magistrate's order through which Wangchuk had been detained since last September, invoking section 14 of the National Security Act (NSA), after violence broke out, leaving four dead in police firing.

"It is a win-win situation for all in the larger context. It is for the greater good of Ladakh," said Dr Gitanjali J Angmo while speaking to NDTV on the revocation of the NSA against her husband, Sonam Wangchuk.

Sources confirmed to NDTV that this move by the Centre isn't known to have ever been done before for anyone else.

"The government has been actively engaging with various stakeholders and community leaders in Ladakh with a view to address the aspirations and concerns of the people of the region. However, the prevailing atmosphere of bandhs and protests has been detrimental to the peace-loving character of the society and has adversely affected various sections of the community, including students, job aspirants, businesses, tour operators, tourists, and the overall economy," the ministry said.

The activist's release came ahead of the Supreme Court hearing next week based on his wife's plea, which challenged the NSA order. Civil society groups in Leh-the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) in Kargil-are scheduled to protest on Monday, demanding constitutional safeguards for Ladakh.

"We are very relieved because this had been dragging on for months. The detention was arbitrary," said Dr Angmo, adding that she has been out of our home in Ladakh since he was detained.

During his detention, she said, Wangchuk spent his time meditating, reading, and exercising. She, on the outside, tried to keep his name and journey alive through social media, podcasts, and interviews.

"This was a very confusing period, but we also learned a lot. The world is a much larger place than we think. Wangchuk learned about prison; I learned about the judiciary," she said.

Their meetings would be short during his time in Jodhpur jail. "There were so many procedures, and also the transmission of information was controlled, so we couldn't discuss everything. It was, of course, an unequal battle. This experience has taught us resilience, and we have emerged stronger," she said. "We both were wise and smart in how we went about it, with many other brilliant people," she added.

Dr Angmo reiterated that the Centre's decision shows that the Indian government genuinely wants to resolve the Ladakh issue and added that Wangchuk is an important stakeholder in this.

"It's a hand of friendship for the larger good of Ladakh," she said, adding that she is hopeful that in the future there's more dialogue.